Malaysia

Most people are expected to be Muslim

Every ethnic Malay is expected to be Muslim. Whoever deviates from this is viewed as not just going against the Constitution, but also against society at large, their family and their neighborhood. Roman Catholics and Methodists are watched by the authorities and non-governmental organizations, but non-traditional Protestant groups are more often targeted, as these tend to be more active in testifying about their faith.

How Christians are suffering

Christians from Muslim backgrounds often hide their faith and meet in secret. If discovered, they could face rejection from their family, or be forced to divorce their spouse. Occasionally they may be sent to a re-education camp, or simply disappear.

The fate of Pastor Raymond Koh, abducted in February 2017, is still not clear and the country’s human rights commission in its final report declared that the Special Branch of the police was involved in the abduction. This reality sent chills into the Christian community.

Churches are monitored by the government, and it is illegal to share the gospel with Malay Muslims.

Examples

All children in state-run nursery and elementary schools are required to attend Islamic education. In state schools, Muslim pupils (including Christians with a Muslim background) are required to attend Islamic classes. At the university level, Islamic courses are also mandated.

In February 2017, Pastor Raymond Koh was abducted in broad daylight. The country’s Human Rights Commission has attempted to investigate this incident but has been prevented from freely proceeding with their investigation.

Population and number of Christian statistics: Johnson T M and Zurlo G A, eds., World Christian Database (Leiden/Boston: Brill, accessed April 2019).